FAQ
Straight answers, including the unprofitable ones.
Some of these tell you not to hire us. That’s deliberate — if your problem is a four-dollar battery or a free steering-lock trick, you should know that before you spend anything.
Pricing & payment
Why can't you give me an exact price before you see the car?
We usually can — that's what the VIN is for. With your year, make, model, and VIN we can identify the exact key type and programming path and quote a firm number over the phone. What we can't do is quote a car key blind, because a 2012 Corolla and a 2022 Range Rover are different jobs by an order of magnitude.
Do you charge a call-out fee if I decide not to go ahead?
If we've quoted you a firm price on the phone and you change your mind after we arrive, there's a service call fee that covers the trip. We tell you that number upfront. If we arrive and discover the job is different from what was described — a different key type, or a fault that isn't what you thought — we re-quote before doing anything, and you're free to decline with only the service call owing.
How do you take payment?
Card, contactless, or cash, at the vehicle after the work is done and tested. We don't ask for payment upfront and we don't ask for a deposit for standard work.
Is a locksmith really cheaper than the dealership?
For key and programming work, generally yes, and the saving is usually 30 to 50 percent before you count the tow. The dealer route on a vehicle that won't start means a tow bill plus a service appointment that may be days out. That said, there are cases where the dealer is the right answer — a very recent model with genuinely restricted programming, for instance — and we'll tell you when that's true rather than take your money to find out.
Do you offer discounts for more than one key?
Yes. Programming a second key during the same visit is significantly cheaper than a separate call, because the programming session is already open. If you want two, get them together.
Timing & availability
How long will the job take once you're there?
A lockout is usually under five minutes. Adding a spare key is 15 to 30 minutes. All-keys-lost on a domestic or Asian vehicle is 45 to 90 minutes. European all-keys-lost is two to three hours. Module and ECU work runs one to three hours depending on access.
Do you work weekends?
Yes. Saturday daytime is our standard rate. Sunday, overnight, and major holidays carry a surcharge, quoted before dispatch.
Can you schedule an appointment instead of an emergency call?
Yes, and it's cheaper. Scheduled work — a spare key, a planned fob replacement — lets us group calls efficiently, and that saving goes to you. If your need isn't urgent, ask about a scheduled slot.
Vehicles & capability
What vehicles can't you do?
A small number of very recent models have key programming genuinely restricted to franchised dealers, and no aftermarket access exists yet. We'll tell you on the phone rather than charging you a service call to discover it. We also don't do motorcycle keys or heavy commercial equipment.
Can you program a key for a car that's been in a flood or fire?
Sometimes, but water and heat damage frequently corrupt module memory, and a module that won't communicate can't be read. We can assess it, and we'll be straight about the odds before you spend money.
Do you work on Teslas?
Only in a limited way, and we'd rather be honest about it. Tesla key cards are paired by the owner through the car's own touchscreen in about a minute — there's no reason to pay anyone for that, and we'll walk you through it on the phone for free. Where we do help on EVs is lockouts, and proximity fobs on EVs from conventional manufacturers.
Will programming a key void my warranty?
No. Under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a manufacturer cannot void your warranty simply because independent service was performed. Correctly executed key programming doesn't affect factory coverage.
Security & verification
What proof of ownership do you need?
Photo ID that matches the name on the vehicle registration, title, or a current insurance card. If the vehicle is registered to a company, a spouse, or a family member, we need written authorization from the registered owner. This isn't bureaucracy — it's the reason you can trust that nobody else can call us about your car.
Someone else has a key to my used car. Can you stop that?
Yes, and you should do it. When we program a key we can erase all previously issued keys from the vehicle's memory, so any key held by a previous owner, a valet, or a dealership stops working immediately. It takes minutes during a visit you're already having.
Can I have someone else meet you at the car?
Only with written authorization from the registered owner, and they'll still need to show their own photo ID. A text from you saying it's fine isn't enough — we need something we can keep on file.
Before you call
My key won't turn in the ignition. Is there something I should try first?
Yes, and it's free. If the steering wheel is under tension against the steering lock, the cylinder physically cannot rotate. Apply firm pressure turning the wheel left and right while gently turning the key. If that frees it, your ignition is fine and you've saved a call-out.
My fob stopped working. Is it worth trying anything?
Replace the coin cell first — it's a few dollars and it's the cause more often than anything else. If the car still detects the fob for push-button start but the buttons do nothing, that points at the button pad rather than the transmitter, which is a repair rather than a replacement.
My key broke off in the lock. Should I try to get it out?
Please don't. Superglue bonds the fragment to the wafers and turns a 20-minute extraction into a cylinder replacement. Pliers push it deeper and bend wafers. If enough is protruding to grip with your fingers, pull it straight out gently — otherwise leave it and call.
What information should I have ready when I call?
Year, make, model, and the VIN if you can reach it — it's visible through the windshield on the driver's side, on the door jamb sticker, and on your insurance card. Also useful: whether you have any working keys, whether the car starts, and exactly where it's parked.
Question not answered here?
Call and ask. We'd rather spend two minutes telling you something is a cheap fix than sell you a visit you didn't need.
Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — including holidays.